


The Secret Ingredient

by kiss_me_cassie



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Pizza Place, Blogging, Crushes, F/M, Fluff, Food, Pizza, Secret Identity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-25
Updated: 2021-02-28
Packaged: 2021-03-15 19:46:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,411
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29689026
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kiss_me_cassie/pseuds/kiss_me_cassie
Summary: "Natasha. We talked about this," Steve said with a long-suffering sigh as he turned his phone around to point out her latest blog entry. "You can't keep disabling the comment thread whenever you don't like what's being said.""Did you see he wrote?" Natasha asked indignantly, blowing a wayward curl out of her face. Since ArrowGuy had started commenting on the blog a little over six months ago, he'd been a thorn in her side, making all kinds of crazy comments. Some were just run of the mill annoying, but others were truly insane. She shuddered, just thinking about the time he'd mentioned trying to roast a Cornish game hen in the microwave.
Relationships: Clint Barton/Natasha Romanov, minor James Bucky Barnes/Sam Wilson
Comments: 46
Kudos: 64





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [paperairplanesopenwindows](https://archiveofourown.org/users/paperairplanesopenwindows/gifts).



> For the be_compromised Valentine Promptathn and Paperairplanes, who prompted: AU where Clint leaves increasingly terrible comments on Natasha's recipe blog so she'll notice him.
> 
> Much thanks to @Crazy4Orcas and @Crystallittanie for all the handholding and awesome beta-ing.
> 
> And finally, a shout out to all the Discord ladies outside of the US who are horrified by the existence of boxed yellow cake mix. *g* Love you, guys!

**Excerpt from The Widow's Retreat blog entry "Tender Beef Wellington"**

There are some foods that both beginner cooks and seasoned chefs alike shy away from regularly, thinking that they're much harder to make than they actually are. I'm going to take the mystery out of Beef Wellington today and show you how you can make a juicy, succulent favorite with a lot less fuss than you think...

** Comments on "Tender Beef Wellington" **

**ArrowGuy**  
I don't have any good quality beef, so I think I might use a hotdog. And I don't have any of that flaky stuff either so I thought I might use cornbread. Is it ok to use a box mix? Or should I try to make it from scratch?  
**That's DOCTOR Darcy**  
Are you crazy? You're crazy! How has Natasha not banned you yet?  
**ArrowGuy**  
How is asking about a mix crazy?  
**Falcon**  
Uh, I'm pretty sure it's not the box mix she's implying is the crazy part, **@ArrowGuy**.  
**Agent**  
I may be a bit of a newbie here, but I feel like this is a legitimate question.  
**ArrowGuy**  
THANK YOU!  
**dbbanner**  
Welcome, **@Agent**! You may want to look at this post or this post for some great tips on how  
Natasha operates and to get a feel for the basics.  
**Agent**  
Much appreciated, **@dbbanner**.  
**Hill to Die On**  
We try not to encourage **@ArrowGuy** too much. He has some... interesting… ideas  
on gourmet food.  
**ArrowGirl**  
Speak for yourself. I love encouraging him!  
**Hill to Die On**  
Well, you would, wouldn't you? Being ArrowGIRL.  
**ArrowGirl**  
I will totally try your corndogs, Guy!  
**ArrowGuy**  
I thought we were making beef wellington?  
**Falcon**  
We are. You? I'm not so sure what you're making.  
**WinterSoldier**  
I'm in!  
**Falcon**  
Excuse me?! I am over here slaving over Beef Wellington for you and  
you're going to eat ArrowGuy's corn dogs instead?  
**WinterSoldier**  
Maybe?  
F **alcon**  
MAYBE????? Say goodbye to **@WinterSoldier** everyone.  
He's not gonna be in any shape to post again for a while.  
Or ever.  
**WinterSoldier**  
Oh really? You think you're gonna stop me?  
**Hill to Die On**  
BOYS! It's a foodie blog, remember? Not a  
place for you to work out your sexual  
frustration with each other.  
**That's DOCTOR Darcy**  
Hey! Speak for yourself, Hill. I,  
personally, find them quite  
entertaining.  
**ArrowGuy**  
I don't mean to be a pain, but no one's answered my question about using a box mix yet?  
_(comments disabled)_

\----------

"Natasha. We talked about this," Steve said with a long-suffering sigh as he turned his phone around to point out her latest blog entry. "You can't keep disabling the comment thread whenever you don't like what's being said."

"Did you see he wrote?" she asked indignantly, blowing a wayward curl out of her face. Since ArrowGuy had started commenting on the blog a little over six months ago, he'd been a thorn in her side, making all kinds of crazy comments. Some were just run of the mill annoying, but others were truly insane. She shuddered, just thinking about the time he'd mentioned trying to roast a Cornish game hen in the microwave.

Steve nodded. "I did."

"I slaved over how to make Beef Wellington easier and less intimidating and he turned it into a discussion about corn dogs," she huffed. "With box mix!"

"Listen, I know you don't really like him, but the others love him."

"Not Hill," Natasha interjected, knowing she was acting like a petulant child, but unable to help herself.

"Not Hill," Steve agreed. "She's more genuinely interested in learning about food. But everyone else does."

Natasha frowned, hating that Steve was right. The other regulars on her blog teased him a lot, but it seemed like they did genuinely like ArrowGuy. If they didn't, they wouldn't encourage his hairbrained ideas so often.

And if Natasha was being honest with herself, she kind of liked him, too. He was goofy and fun and didn't take things too seriously. She envied his ability to connect with the others and wished she could be a little more like him at times.

And the harebrained ideas? They were undeniably practical -- sometimes. Not everyone had access to the best cuts of beef or fancy ingredients. She'd be smart to remember that and feature some basic and easily accessible recipes more often. Maybe she could start with pizza. Yes, pizza. That was exactly what she would do. She could --

"Regardless of whether people like him or not," Steve was saying, cutting into her thoughts. "You have to stop disabling the comments. The sponsors don't like it and if you lose them…"

He left the rest dangling out there unsaid and she didn't have to ask him to elaborate. She knew exactly what he meant: if she continued to disable the comments, the sponsors might not continue their sponsorship and then it was goodbye blog, goodbye steady income.

Natasha took a deep breath. "I know."

"Listen, I didn't come here to give you a hard time about the comments, even if I did feel it was my duty as your friend and manager to mention it," Steve said. "I came to see if you had any plans for lunch."

Natasha shook her head. "I was going to eat a peanut butter sandwich while I worked on the next blog entry."

Steve raised a brow at her. "I'm starting to worry about this peanut butter addiction of yours."

"It's no fun making elaborate meals for one," she said with a shrug. "Peanut butter is easy."

"How about I take you out for lunch instead? Anywhere you want. Your choice."

"Anywhere?" she asked, her mood suddenly lifting. Anywhere meant she could talk him into going to Hawkeye's, where she could indulge in delicious pizza while drooling over the hot guy who owned the place. Which was way better than her original plan of eating a boring peanut butter sandwich alone. "Absolutely anywhere?"

"Yes," Steve agreed with a laugh. "Even that pizza joint you're so obsessed with."

Natasha grinned in delight. "Deal. Let me go grab a jacket."

\----------

"So," Kate said as she leaned forward over the counter to peek from the kitchen into the dining room to get a better view of the new arrivals. "Are you going to talk to her this time?"

She spun back around to face Clint, who paused in spreading the pizza sauce on the dough in front of him but didn't bother to turn around. He didn't need to see who Kate was talking about; he already knew. "Her?"

"Her. Natasha Romanoff. The food blogger."

"Of course I am." He concentrated on distributing the toppings in front of him evenly across the pizza. "She's a customer and I always try to talk to the customers."

"Yes, but are you going to _talk_ to her?" Kate pushed. "Or just moon over her?"

"I do not moon," Clint said, shimmying a wooden paddle beneath the finished pizza and hefting it into the brick oven.

"Could've fooled me," Kate said. "And you didn't answer my question."

Clint wiped his hands on his apron and turned to face her. "Why are you so obsessed with me talking to Natasha Romanoff?"

"Because you have a crush on her." He raised a brow and she narrowed her eyes at him. "You do. Don't think I haven't noticed how you always try out your latest crazy pizza specials on the days you think she'll show up."

"I don't…. always do that," he replied mulishly, even though he totally did. "Maybe it’s just a coincidence."

Kate snorted. "Not likely. But back to my original question… are you going to talk to her? And if not, why not?"

"Why don't _you_ talk to her?" he countered. "Especially since you're the one who so desperately wants her to mention us on her blog?"

"Because," she said, sticking her tongue out at him.

"Nice, very mature," Clint chuckled, grabbing another batch of dough and tossing it expertly to get a nice, even round shape. "You'd do a better job of talking this place up than I would anyhow."

"Maybe, but it’s not me she looks at so longingly whenever she comes in."

"She doesn't -" He stopped and stared at Kate, gobsmacked. He'd never noticed her looking at him at all. "Does she?"

"Yes, you idiot," Kate said with a laugh. "You've never noticed?"

He hadn't. He'd been so busy mooning - yes, mooning, Kate hadn't exactly been wrong about that - over _her_ that he'd never noticed that maybe she'd been mooning over _him_ a little, too.

"If I promise to talk to her will you stop giving me a hard time?" he asked Kate.

She grinned. "Maybe. But I make no promises."

\----------

"Hey, what can I get you guys today?" Clint asked, wiping his hands nervously on his apron as he approached Natasha’s table and smiled at her and the beefy blonde guy she'd brought with her. Clint had seen him a time or two before with her; they seemed to be really good friends, although he couldn't tell if there was more there or not.

"What's your special?" Natasha asked.

"Chicken enchilada pizza," he said. "I made it fresh a few minutes ago."

"Oh! With avocado?"

"As if you could have any type of enchilada -- even a pizza -- without avocado," Clint said with a smile.

"I want that," Natasha said excitedly.

Clint looked over at the guy.

"I'm going to defer to her," Steve said with a bemused smile as he looked from one to the other. "She's the expert. I'm just her poor manager."

"And friend," Natasha protested.

"And friend," Steve agreed. "So an enchilada pie with a pitcher of coke sounds good."

"Coming right up."

\--------------------------------------

** Comments on "Decadent Chocolate Lava Cake" **

**Falcon**  
Hey, what do you think of this @WinterSoldier? Should I try it?  
**WinterSolider**  
Dude, I'm sitting right here next to you. Why didn't you just ask me?  
**Falcon**  
I did. Right now.  
**WinterSoldier**  
I meant OUT LOUD.  
**ArrowGIrl**  
Ohhh… I love how she suggested a peanut butter sauce to top it off.  
I'm going to have to try that.  
**That's DOCTOR Darcy**  
I wanna try a raspberry sauce. I seem to remember she made that once for  
something else, but I can't find it.  
**dbbanner**  
Are you referring to this?  
**That's DOCTOR Darcy**  
YES! Thank you **@dbbanner**! You're awesome!  
**dbbanner**  
You're welcome!  
**ArrowGuy**  
Talking of substitutions, what do you think would happen if I used coffee?  
**That's DOCTOR Darcy**  
On top?  
**ArrowGuy**  
No. For like, the stuff inside. The lava part.  
**Hill to Die On**  
That's probably not the best idea.  
**Agent**  
I agree with Hill. I believe chocolate is an integral  
part of this recipe.  
**WinterSolider**  
**@Falcon** I will give you twenty bucks if you try coffee in it!  
**Falcon**  
TWENTY? You'd need to offer me a lot more than  
that.  
**WinterSoldier**  
Well, I have some other ideas on what I  
could offer you, but I don't think they're the  
kinds of things I should post publicly.  
**That's DOCTOR Darcy**  
PLEASE! Post them publicly!  
**Hill to Die On**  
You actually cook **@ArrowGirl**? I thought you were here exclusively to egg on Guy.  
**ArrowGirl**  
That's just a side benefit.  
**ArrowGuy**  
Update: The coffee idea didn't turn out half bad  
**ArrowGirl**  
Listen, as much as I love you and believe coffee is an essential food group, there is  
no way you can describe that experiment as anything other than a complete and utter  
disaster.  
**ArrowGuy**  
Aww, but… coffee!  
**WinterSoldier**  
Please tell me there is video somewhere

\----------

Pizza should have been an easy subject to write about. After all, Natasha'd certainly eaten enough of it in the past few months to become an expert on it. But everything she typed came out sounding boring and flat.

Taking a deep breath, she tried again then promptly hit delete and erased everything on the screen. She was putting herself to sleep with such insipid writing; there was no way she'd keep her readers entertained.

Maybe she needed to get out of her apartment for a change of scenery and some inspiration.

People went to coffee shops all the time to sit and write, or so all the novels and movies she consumed had led her to believe. The problem was she wasn't much of a coffee drinker and the place near her was always so overcrowded, even during off hours, that she wasn't likely to get a seat, nevermind the chance to write anything.

Which is when it occurred to her that her destination didn't have to be a cliched coffee shop. It could be anywhere. Like maybe a pizza place located in BedStuy.

The more Natasha thought about it, the better it sounded.

Yelena was always telling her she needed to get out more. Steve was, too. This would be out. Probably not exactly what either of them had in mind when they'd suggested it, but so what? It was being amongst other people, even if she wasn't actively socializing with them. That was a step in the right direction at least.

It was late enough in the afternoon that the lunch crowd at Hawkeye's would be gone but early enough that the dinner crowd wouldn't have started trickling in yet. Surely it wouldn't be so bad if she tucked herself away at a small table in the back and worked on her latest blog entry, would it? There might even be a new pizza to try.

Snapping her laptop shut, she slid it into her tote along with her wallet and keys.

And if she didn't manage to get any writing done at Hawkeye's? Well, at least she'd be eating something besides peanut butter today.

\----------

"Clint. For real - are you _ever_ going to talk to her? It's getting painful to watch both in real time and on the blog. This is exactly the opening you need to go talk to Natasha about your idea for dessert pizzas. And she doesn't have her friend with her today, so go," Kate said, giving him a little push towards the kitchen door. "Go!"

Reluctantly pulling off his apron, he draped it on a hook near the kitchen door and then shouldered his way out into the dining area. Miles and Mrs. Morales were sharing an afternoon snack and he paused to say hello as he passed by. But even as he chatted with them about Mile's new school, he could barely keep his eyes off Natasha.

She'd been sitting at the back table for a while now, nibbling on a slice of lukewarm pizza as she typed away on her laptop. Every once in a while she'd pause and bite at her lip while she read over what she'd written, then she'd go right back to typing.

"Hey," he greeted as he approached her table, causing her to startle. "Sorry. Didn't mean to surprise you. You all by yourself today?"

"Yup, Steve had other plans," Natasha admitted, closing her laptop. "But I needed a change of scenery from my apartment -- and some food -- so I thought I'd come here. I hope you don't mind I've been taking up your table?"

"Nah, it's fine. Stay as long as you want," Clint invited. "If you don't mind me asking, what are you working on?"

"You know how Steve mentioned I was a bit of a foodie? Well, it's a little bit more than that. I write a food blog."

"Oh? That's really cool." Dumb, Clint, dumb. Surely he could've come up with something better than that. He tried again. "So, uh, since you know a lot about food and you're a bit of a regular, do you mind if I ask your opinion on something?"

"What kind of something?" she asked hesitantly.

"Kate and I… we were thinking of branching out into dessert pizzas. We came up with a couple of different ideas. Since you seem to be a fan of our other specialty pizzas, would you be willing to try one out, tell me what you think?"

Her eyes went wide and she grinned at him. "I'd love to! What kind of dessert pizza were you thinking about?"

"A chocolate crusted pizza with peanut butter ganache, bananas and honey."

He could practically see her salivate. "I love peanut butter and bananas."

"Yeah, I --" he almost said ' _yeah, I know_ ,' but that would have been creepy so he settled for, "Yeah, I think the flavors go well together. Kate wasn't so sure about the honey."

"No, honey is the perfect final touch. It adds just the right amount of sweetness to the peanut butter."

He grinned at her. "That's what I said!"

Natasha smiled. “Go on, then. Bring it on.”

\----------

After that, it got easier and easier to talk to her each time she came in, asking if she wanted to try out a new flavor of pizza or what she thought of a particular food combination. Sometimes she liked his ideas, but other times she wrinkled up her nose at them. It was an adorable look on her.

"Aww, c'mon! If people will eat pineapple on pizza, why wouldn't they want to try grapes on it?" he asked.

"It's not the same, Clint. Not even a self-respecting Greek would eat grapes on a pizza," she laughed. "Besides, how many people actually buy Hawaiian pizzas from you?"

"Well, there's this guy Eddie that comes in every once in a while," he mused. "But he's a bit of a wild card. One time he asked for raw scallops and onions with a drizzle of mustard across the top."

She wrinkled up her nose. "Did you make it?"

"Hell yeah! You think I'm gonna turn a customer away? He bought three more the next night and then I didn't see him for a month. When he finally showed up again, he went right back to ordering Hawaiians." He reached out and took a sip from her soda.

"Hey, that's mine," she protested with a laugh, grabbing it back from him and taking her own sip.

There was something oddly intimate about her putting her lips on the straw right where his had been and Clint felt an odd lurch in his gut. "I'll comp it for you."

"You seem to be doing that an awful lot lately," she noted. "I feel like I'm eating all your profits."

"Nah. Besides, you let me bounce new ideas off you all the time. That more than makes up for any freebies." He paused and then squinted at her. "Speaking of that… I know it’s a bit unconventional, but wanna come back into the kitchen and help me try out a new white pizza recipe?"

She grinned delightedly at him. "I thought you'd never ask!"

"If I had known asking you to make pizza with me would make you smile like that, I'd have asked a lot sooner."

They smiled goofily at each other, until a loud clatter from the kitchen broke them out of their stupor.

She frowned. "Should you go check on that?"

"Nah, it's just Kate. She's a bit of a clutz."

There was another loud clatter and Clint knew he was going to pay for the clutz comment later but he didn't care. Natasha Romanoff was grinning at him like she'd never stop and he didn't care about anything else.

\-----------

** Comments on "Pocket Pasta" **

**Hill to Die On**  
I know Natasha focused on ravioli and pierogi in this entry, but I'm wondering how the dough would  
work with potstickers?  
**dbbanner**  
I think the premise is pretty much the same. Try it and let us know how it comes out.  
**That's DOCTOR Darcy**  
Pork ones with a good gyoza dipping sauce? DROOL.  
**ArrowGuy**  
I'm thinking about using bread dough instead of pasta and stuffing it with cheese and pepperoni  
**Falcon**  
I think that's a pizza roll, dude  
**That's DOCTOR Darcy**  
Isn't it a lot easier and cheaper to buy those in the frozen food aisle?  
**ArrowGuy**  
But… Homemade!  
**Falcon**  
Yeah, no. Hard pass.  
**ArrowGirl**  
Actually, you guys would be amazed at **@ArrowGuy** 's pizza making skills  
**ArrowGuy**  
Don't you dare!  
**ArrowGirl**  
But…  
**ArrowGuy**  
I told you the answer was no  
**ArrowGirl**  
But it's for your own good!  
**ArrowGuy**  
NO  
**That's DOCTOR Darcy**  
Um, are you guys okay?  
**ArrowGirl**  
We're fine  
**ArrowGuy**  
No, we're not  
**Hill to Die On**  
I can't believe I'm about to say this but I'm actually a little worried about @ArrowGuy and @ArrowGirl  
**Falcon**  
Yeah, me too  
**dbbanner**  
Anybody know them offline?  
**That's DOCTOR Darcy**  
I really hope one of them posts again soon  
**Agent**  
I DM'd. They both assure me things will be fine between them but they need a bit of time to cool off first.  
**That's DOCTOR Darcy**  
Thanks for the update

\----------

"Hey, why are you frowning at the screen like that?" Steve asked.

Natasha read over the comments again and then snapped her laptop closed. "ArrowGuy and ArrowGirl are fighting."

"I thought you didn't like ArrowGuy?"

"I don't," Natasha said, her frown deepening. "Not really, but he's one of my regulars and both he and his sidekick have grown on me."

"Ah! Natasha Romanoff is going soft." Steve teased.

"Not soft," she scoffed, before adding quietly, "but maybe _softer_."

"See? I knew it was a good idea when we opened your blog up to comments. Speaking of which, I came by to share some news with you. Stark suggested you do some vlog episodes, maybe invite a few of the regulars to come cook with you.”

She shook her head violently. "No, I can't. It would be a disaster. I'm not good at cooking with others."

"I know you think that," he countered, shooting her a serious look. "But you're better at it than you think."

"How would you know?"

"Maybe because of all the gushing you've been doing over making pizzas?" Steve said with a smile.

"That's different," she protested. "Clint is… It's different."

"Uh-huh. But whether that's true or not, Stark is your biggest sponsor and he has oodles of money he wants to throw at this."

Natasha sighed. Steve was right. If Stark really wanted this, there was no way she could say no. "How would it work?"

"We invite a fan favorite to join you in the kitchen to make one of their favorite dishes." He paused and Natasha narrowed her eyes at him. He had that look on his face, the kind that told her the next thing he had to say was something she _really_ wasn't going to like.

"Which of the fan favorites?" she demanded.

"He wants you to start with ArrowGuy."

"No." She shook her head. Yes, she had warmed to him and yes, she was admittedly worried about whatever was going on with him and ArrowGirl, but that didn't mean she was prepared to cook with him. "No, absolutely not."

"Stark really wants him. He thinks he'll add some humor."

"But —"

"I don't think there's a way to get around it."

"Fine," Natasha huffed, knowing that she couldn’t back out. Not if she wanted to keep Stark as a sponsor. "But if ArrowGuy burns down the kitchen, that's on you and Stark. And you're building me a new state-of-the-art one."

Steve put his hand to his heart and nodded solemnly. "Duly noted."

\----------

"Shit," Clint said, staring at his phone.

"What?" Kate asked, peering around him to try and get a look at the screen.

He shoved the phone at her so she could read the email, then ran a hand through his hair in frustration as she read.

"Stark Industries. Widow's Retreat. The Tower Restaurant. Guest cooks. Video…" She looked at him, confused by his reaction. "But I don't understand. This is fantastic!"

"It's a disaster," he said.

She frowned in confusion. "Why? You and Natasha work fabulously together."

"Because of the small matter that Natasha doesn't know I'm ArrowGuy," he explained.

"Oh," she said as the words sank in. "OH."

"Yeah."

"But you can't _not_ go," Kate protested.

He blew out another frustrated breath and started to pace around in the small area by the oven. "So you see the problem."

"You're going to have to tell her. Which I have been telling you --"

He stopped pacing and just looked at her. "I _lied_ to her, Katie. She's going to hate me."

"No, she won't."

"How do you know?"

"Well, I don't, but… It's Natasha. I mean, sure, she might get pissed but she'll get over it," Kate said. "Won't she?"

"Let's hope so, because otherwise, I'm fucked."

\----------

Clint rushed into The Tower Restaurant and practically barrelled into Natasha, who was restlessly prowling the lobby.

She stopped pacing and peered up at him confused. "Clint? What are you doing here?"

He rubbed at the back of his neck nervously. There was no backing out now. Time to own up to his secret identity and hope like hell she understood. "I was, uh, invited?"

She wrinkled up her nose in that cute, adorable way he'd come to love. "I don't understand. Only blog regulars were on the list."

"Yeah, so about that…" He paused and took a deep breath. "I'm ArrowGuy."

She shook her head. "I… but… _you_? You can't be. You make the most amazing pizzas! ArrowGuy is a loose cannon who can't even tell the difference between carnival food and a gourmet meal."

He offered her a wan smile. "I guess now isn't the time to tell you I used to work in a circus, is it?"

There was a long, silent pause.

"You're ArrowGuy," she finally said, staring forlornly at him. "But... Why?"

"Because I like you. And I wanted to get your attention," he said sheepishly. When she didn't say anything, just continued to look at him with those big green eyes, he continued, "Listen, I know. It was stupid and ridiculous and I can't even begin to tell you how many times Kate has told me that. Not that I needed her to tell me, but I really like you. You make the most amazing recipes online, but every time you come into the restaurant you look so sad and lonely. That is, until you take your first bite of pizza and then your whole face lights up and it's like you finally come to life and I wanted—"

She cut him off with a kiss, her lips soft and warm against his. Her hands moved hesitantly to his shoulders and he circled her waist as he kissed her back, too shocked to do anything more than follow her lead. It wasn't an overly passionate kiss by any means, but god, it was beyond anything he could imagine.

"What... What was that for? I mean… Wow, that was one outstanding kiss, but why aren't you yelling at me?"

She kissed him again, quick and chaste, then smiled up at him with one of those amazing smiles of hers.

"Because I like you too," she said quietly. "It's one of the reasons I keep coming back to Hawkeye’s so often. Well, that and the food.”

"I… you _do_?"

She laughed. "Like the pizza? Of course I do! I would have thought that was obvious by now."

"No, I mean, you like me, too?" Clint asked, stunned.

She nodded. "I like you, too. And I want to cook with you. At Hawkeye's and for this new video vlog. So how about we make some pizza together?"

\----------

**Excerpt from The Widow's Retreat blog entry "It's All in the Crust"**

On today's blog I have long-time reader ArrowGuy — aka Clint Barton of the famous Hawkeye's Pizzeria in BedStuy — with me. We'll be collaborating on a recipe with feta, chicken and pecans, which blends nouveau cuisine flavors with classic pizza construction for a mouthwatering dish everyone will enjoy...

**Comments on "It's all in the Crust"**

**Agent**  
A collaboration, you say?  
**dbbanner**  
Glad to see the two of you getting along so well!  
**Falcon**  
The two of you working together is something I never saw coming but wow! Can't wait to try this pizza.  
**Hill to Die On**  
ArrowGuy is Hawkeye?!  
**Widow**  
My sponsor, Stark Industries, convinced me that collaborations can lead to the most  
amazing things. Do you think you could DM me so we can talk about those potstickers  
you made and maybe arrange a possible guest entry?  
**That's DOCTOR Darcy**  
Awwwwww… Are they together now? I kind of get the feeling there's a bit more collab going on than just cooking,  
if you get what I mean. ::wink wink::  
**Hill to Die On**  
Darcy, no one ever fails to know what you mean. You are the complete opposite of subtle.  
**ArrowGirl**  
You should see them in person. They're so sweet they give you cavities.  
**That's DOCTOR Darcy**  
Double awwwwww! I think they've now officially bumped **@Falcon** and  
**@WinterSoldier** as my favorite couple  
**Falcon**  
What? No! We're way cuter!  
**WinterSoldier**  
Well, I am. Can't necessarily say the same for you.  
**Falcon**  
Right. Because I'm better than cute. I am debonair. And  
handsome. And sexy.  
**WinterSoldier**  
I guess one out of three ain't bad.  
**That's DOCTOR Darcy**  
Wait… which one?  
**WinterSoldier**  
I'll let you guess  
**Falcon**  
I thought you said we weren't your  
favorites anymore?  
**That's DOCTOR Darcy**  
You can share top billing. But  
I really need to know which one.  
**Hill to Die On**  
Darcy...


	2. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bonus epilogue that I had absolutely no intention of writing! But I saw the [fruit loops news article](https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/entertainment/dining/2021/02/26/fongs-pizza-des-moines-restaurant-new-breakfast-pizza-froot-loops/6837808002/) *the day after I posted.* Seriously. The universe hates me sometimes.

Natasha awoke to the mouthwatering smell of yeast and sugar. Rolling over, she found the other side of the bed empty and idly wondered where Clint was. Based on the smell, he was probably in the kitchen, although a quick glance at the clock showed it was a little past seven, which was generally way too early for him to be awake. Especially on a day when he wasn't working at the pizzeria.

"Clint? What are you doing up so early?" she asked sleepily as she shuffled into the kitchen to find him expertly slicing a freshly baked pizza.

"Couldn't sleep and then I started thinking of all kinds of different pizza ideas and… Here." He scooped up a slice of gooey, colorful pizza and slid it onto a plate for her. "Try this."

She wrinkled up her nose, but took the plate in question without hesitation. "What is it?"

"Fruit loop breakfast pizza," he declared with a grin.

She took a hesitant bite only for her taste buds to be met with the most heavenly flavor. "Oh my gosh, Clint, this is delicious!"

"That's exactly the reaction I was hoping for," he said, delightedly watching as she took another, much bigger bite. "I'm gonna talk to Katie about featuring these next week."

"As a regular offering or just a special?" Natasha asked.

"A regular feature, if I can swing it. We might need to hire on an extra kid or two to help out."

Natasha swallowed the final piece and grabbed a second slice. "Rio said Miles was looking for something so he could afford more art supplies."

Clint nodded. "I'll talk to him, see if he's interested."

"In the meantime, what are you up to today?"

"I'm meeting Sam and Bucky for frisbee golf. Do you think I should bring some of this and see what they think?"

"If I don't finish it all first," she teased. "Bucky will probably love it. Sam will, too, but I'm pretty sure he'll make you work for his stamp of approval first."

"Probably," Clint said, grabbing his mug and taking a swig of his coffee. "What are your plans for today?"

"Coffee with Maria," she said. "She wanted to discuss doing some internationally themed blog posts."

"Best decision you ever made, asking Maria to be your co-blogger. Well, after deciding to take a chance on me," he said, pulling her into a hug.

She leaned into him and sighed happily. "Did you ever think we'd turn into these people?"

He dropped a kiss on the top of her head. "Yes."

She took a step back and peered up at him curiously. "How?"

He shrugged and offered her a little smile. "You always had it in you. You just needed a little push. And me? I've always been fabulous. Especially when making lava cake with coffee."

She giggled and shoved him away from her. "You're awful and your experiments are, too."

"Not all of them!" he protested. "I noticed you've already devoured three slices of fruit loop pizza, so I must be doing something right."

"A whole lot of somethings," she said, standing up on tiptoe and giving him a sticky kiss. "Love you."

He grinned and kissed her back. "Love you, too."


End file.
